BEHEADED  WHILE  POW

AT  CHICHI  JIMA  ISLAND

On April 18, 1942, a surprise bombing of Tokyo and other Japanese cities was conducted by American B-25 bombers which has become known as the Doolittle Raid.  In response to this action Japan passed the Enemy Airmen’s Act on August 13, 1942, which stated that Allied pilots who bombed non-military targets in the Pacific Theater and were captured by Japanese forces were subject to trial and punishment.  The Enemy Airmen’s Act was responsible for the death of hundreds of Allied airmen throughout the Pacific War as they were purposely executed after short kangaroo trials or drumhead courts-martials.

Warren Arthur Hindenlang was unfortunately one of the POWs who was executed after being taken prisoner by the Japanese.  Review of readily available historical records revealed little concerning Hindenlang in addition to the circumstances of his death.  He was reportedly the copilot of a land based PB4Y Liberator of Bombing Squadron VB-109 which conducted a night attack on August 4, 1944, on Chichi Jima, a small island about 620 miles south of Tokyo only five miles by three miles in size.  The island was critical to the Japanese communication services who used it as a strategic radio relay link.  Neutralizing the island became important when U.S. forces commenced long distance flights to attack the Japanese mainland and the flights often flew near Chichi Jima.  Aircrews disliked attacking Chichi Jima as they faced lethal antiaircraft fire, somehow had to dodge the shells aimed at them, and then release their bombs onto the reinforced concrete communications facility.

Hindenlang’s PB4Y failed to return from the mission and he was declared missing in action.  Following the war it was discovered that at Chichi Jima captured airmen had been beaten and tortured before being executed.  In addition, the Japanese commander was of the belief that consumption of human parts had medical benefits and thus several POWs were cannibalized following their execution.  It was reported that ENS Hindenlang was beheaded but no information was developed that he was one of those who was cannibalized.  Following the war the Japanese commander was sentenced to death and subsequently hanged in a trial organized by the Netherlands for war crimes committed in the Dutch East Indies.

                                                         PB4Y  LIBERATOR

Submitted by CDR Roy A. Mosteller, USNR (Ret)